The Winter Olympics are in full swing and many are tuning in to watch the figure skating competition, which prompted me to look back into our collections for images of ice skating from years past. I particularly enjoy the photos of Washingtonians enjoying ice skating on the Reflecting Pool, which stretches between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. It became an unofficial ice rink for locals in the early part of the 20th century whenever it froze solid enough. (Skating on the Reflecting Pool is no longer permitted, so these older photos give us the best glimpse of this past experience.) This photo from almost exactly 100 years ago caught my attention, as it evoked my favorite sport on ice, one also featured in the Winter Olympics: ice hockey.
